Travel News 24/7 Thanh Hoa to host National Tourism Year 2015 The National Tourism Year 2015 themed “ Connecting World Heritages in Vietnam “, will be held in Thanh Hoa Province, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. UNESCO has recognized the Ho Dynasty Citadel in the central province of Thanh Hoa as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2011. The event focuses on its festival of world heritages, exhibition on large-size propaganda posters featuring major national holidays in 2015 and the 50th anniversary of Ham Rong victory, folk singing and cuisine festival, sea tourism festival, and a journey to connect world heritages in Vietnam. A wide range of cultural activities in neighboring cities and provinces such as Phu Tho, Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien Hue will also be launched during event. The national event aims to promote tourism and introduce the beauty of the country and Thanh Hoa Province in particular, said Ministry. Vietnamese visitors to Singapore record double-digit growth in Q1 Vietnamese visitor arrivals to Singapore numbered 90,000 in the first quarter of 2014, representing a double-digit positive growth rate of 13%, according to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Outbound travel from Vietnam has also increased in recent years as travel as a lifestyle activity gains popularity among the Vietnamese, the board added. Singapore’s international visitor arrivals in the January-March period held steady at 3.9 million from the same quarter last year. Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Australia, and Japan were Singapore’s top five tourist sources. The Republic of Korea (RoK) was ranked seventh with 153,000 arrivals, up 17% year-on-year. The STB attributed the growth for RoK visitors to an appreciation of the Korean Won and the introduction of Scoot as the only low-cost carrier flying the Singapore-Seoul route from June 2013. Conversely, arrivals from China slowed down by 14% year-on-year, following a decline of 31% in the last quarter of 2013, due to the continued impact of the tourism law that was introduced on October 1 last year. Also according to a statement released by the STB on July 21, in the first quarter of this year, tourism receipts grew 5% year-on-year to SGD6.0 billion, driven by sightseeing, entertainment and gaming (up 19%), accommodation (up 2%) and other components (up 5%). Gazetted hotel room revenue showed a 12% increase to hit SGD0.8 billion. Two guesthouses in Sam Son fined for insulting travellers Tourist industry regulators of Thanh Hoa Province have fined two guesthouses in Sam Son for insulting, threatening and even evicting customers who refuse to eat at the hotel restaurants. On July 21, the provincial tourist regulatory agency fined Thanh Dat Hotel of Vietnam Tourism and Training Joint Stock Company VND20 million (USD952). Nam Hoi Guesthouse was also fined VND10 million (USD476). According to Nguyen Huy Binh, Head of the Market Watch Board, authorities received complaints about the two establishments through their hotline. Since the beginning of the high season for tourism this year, local authorities have dealt with dozens of violations in Sam Son. The violations consisted mostly overcharging, illegal venders and touting. The maximum possible fine has been increased to VND217 million (USD10,300). Can Tho asks VietJetAir to ensure quality of new air route Chairman Le Hung Dung of Can Tho City has asked VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Co. (VietJetAir) to ensure the quality of its forthcoming Danang-Can Tho service and called for travel firms to support it. “We hope VietJetAir will guarantee the quality and departure/arrival schedules of the new route. In addition, travel firms should join forces to help the carrier maintain its service,” Dung said at a press briefing last week with the private carrier to announce the launch of the air service slated for this week. Dung stressed VietJetAir must ensure its quality and that travel agencies should lower their tour prices and enhance their service quality to attract more tourists to the city. If the Danang-Can Tho route succeeded, other flights connecting Can Tho City with Thailand and Singapore would be launched, Dung said. Can Tho has pledged to offer VND9 billion aid between now and November for VietJetAir to launch the new air service, said Nguyen Trung Nhan, director of  the city’s Department of Information and Communications. He revealed Can Tho-based Hong Loan Construction Commercial Real Estate Joint Stock Company has agreed to offer VND1 billion. The financial support will make it possible for VietJetAir to offer attractive airfares for customers. VietJetAir will use Airbus 320 aircraft for the new route and can transport some 1,100 customers a week on its three return flights with single airfares ranging from VND480,000 to VND1.2 million, said Nguyen Bac Toan, deputy director of commercial at VietJetAir. The 2,500 promotional tickets at VND99,000 each for the new route have been snapped up, Toan added. Nearly 40 travel firms in Can Tho City have lent a helping hand to the new route by taking 10% off their service charges (taxi, food and shopping), 30% off entrance fees and 30-48% off room rates. After VietJetAir commences its first flight on July 22, Danang City will organize a FAM trip to Can Tho City and then a road show will be held in Danang to attract investors and tourists to travel between the two cities. “On the Reunification Day (April 30) next year, Can Tho will inaugurate its first five-star hotel and a golf course and together with the new route, the city could attract more investors and tourists,” said the city’s chairman Le Hung Dung. There are many flights connecting Can Tho City with such destinations as Hanoi, HCMC, Phu Quoc Island and Con Dao Island on daily or weekly schedules and Taiwan on Vietnam’s Lunar New Year festival. Travel firms to cash in on new air service * Multiple tour operators have announced their travel programs between Danang and Can Tho cities following a decision by VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Company (VietJetAir) to launch direct air service between the cities. The carrier will operate three weekly flights between Danang and Can Tho, enabling travel agencies to sell the Danang-Can Tho package tour to customers living in the two places. The trip lasts four to five days.   According to tour operators, the new tour will help travelers in the Mekong Delta region save on three to four hours as they do not have to travel to Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCMC to fly on to Danang City as at present. In addition, airfares on the Can Tho-Danang and the HCMC-Danang are almost the same, allowing tourism firms to offer tours at more competitive prices. “Some tourists living in the Mekong Delta region who have bought the HCMC-Danang package tour have shifted to departing in Can Tho City instead of HCMC as it is more convenient for them,” said Nguyen Ngoc An of Fiditour Company.  “We believe that the new air route would give a boost to sales of Danang package tours for travelers in the region,” he added. The company is now offering the five-day Danang-Can Tho tour at VND7 million a passenger, which takes in Danang, Son Tra Peninsula, Cham Island and the ancient town of Hoi An, exclusive of airfare. Two shorter tours of four days, the Danang-Hoi An and the Danang-Hoi An-Hue, cost VND3.35 million and VND3.68 million a passenger respectively, excluding airfare. Similar to Fiditour, Vietnam Travel Mart has launched some services based on the Danang-Can Tho flight. “We are working closely with VietJetAir to design new tour packages using Danang-Can Tho air service; however, it needs to carry a promotion campaign to boost tour sales,” said Cao Tri Dung, chairman of the Management Council of Vietnam Travel Mart. On the other hand, Saigontourist Travel Service Company expects more from the new flight, aiming to attract tourists in the country’s north coming to the Mekong Delta region after their tours in Danang and Hoi An cities. The company has just launched the Danang-Can Tho-Chau Doc-Ha Tien tour at a cost of VND3.37 million a passenger which departs every Thursday and Saturday and excludes airfare. Lam Dong, Khanh Hoa cooperate to lure Russian tourists Central Highland province of Lam Dong and central Khanh Hoa province are effectively cooperating in attracting foreign visitors, particularly those from Russia. The provinces’ July 22 conference reviewed their cooperation programme from 2010-2015, aimed at creating cultural, sport and tourism links with the northern Eurasian country. Under the programme, a direct air route from Russia to Cam Ranh was launched to attract more international arrivals to Khanh Hoa and nearby Da Lat city in Lam Dong. Travel agents in Khanh Hoa’s Nha Trang city have brought 300-350 Russian tourists to Da Lat during the peak travel season. Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong will step up their tourism cooperation in the future by jointly developing eco-tourism services and cooperating to introduce the provinces’ tourism potential at international trade fairs. VietJet connects Can Tho, Da Nang Budget carrier VietJet Air carried 180 passengers from Da Nang to Can Tho on its inaugural flight between the two cities yesterday. With flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, VietJet Air provides nearly 1,100 seats on the route per week. At the inaugural ceremony, the chairman of the Can Tho People's Committee, Le Hung Dung, said the new air route would not only provide a faster means of transport for people but also help boost economic development in the two cities. Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/ND/SGT